RADIO
In the 1960s and 1970s, radio was still the dominant form of news communication. It had a pronounced effect on the troops fighting in Vietnam, and more importantly, on the civilians at home.
For the GI
Technological adavnces made it easy to mass produce handheld radios that could be brought into the field by American soldiers. The war experience was emotionally damaging, and something was needed to pass the time by. Radio did this in the form of AFVN, or the American Forces Vietnam Network. Music was played over the airwaves, as well as news announcements, covering the status of the war, important events both domestic and abroad, and of course the most recent sports games. The avergae "Galvanized Iron" grunt unit could feel like they were not abandoned nor alone during their turn at war. As one GI said, "it was like a little piece of home in my pocket."
Just like the patriotic cover disguising the Vietnam War, the AFVN could not last forever. When support for the war overturned, the propagandists in the government found that Wolfman Jack and Sergeant Pepper could not keep the soldiers happy forever, as troop morale eventually dwindled, mirroring the public morale. AFVN played sent its last signal during the Tet Offensive, when VC overran the headquarters building in Saigon. One staff member was killed while the others were captured and held as POWs. A huge loss for the US PR campaign. Serving the American fighting man twenty fours hours a day from the Delta to the DMZ-AFVN slogan
Left: A newspaper article announcing the portable radio Courtesy: KABC For the Public
Contrary to the military's experience, the American public found radio to be a tool for bringing reality of the war to the car or house, as well as an effective means of destroying the support for it.
Radio has always been, and still is one of the most popular sources for news coverage. The Vietnam War saw the widespread avilability of television, which added the visual dimension of media and gave the civilian mind a much more dramatic understanding of the battlefield, but nevertheless, radio played an important part in the effect of media on the war. Journalists were able to travel to Vietnam, often following combat groups into the fighting. Here they interviewed a wide array of US troops, ranging from the miserable 18 year old draftee, to the battle-hardened Sergeant Major, and broadcasted the diverse stories and tales. Since most of America's forces were comprised of drafted kids who had no intention of being in Nam, it is not surprising what the majority of the interviews displayed: Heart wrenching stories of youngsters dying in front of friends, a pile of leaves revealing a booby trapped hand grenade, or maybe even the napalm burns on Vetnamese villagers. Even though it lacked pictures, radio showed the grim realities the average soldier was feeling during Vietnam, without the shroud of military folk tales. Another loss for the US PR campaign.
In the 1960s and 1970s, radio was still the dominant form of news communication. It had a pronounced effect on the troops fighting in Vietnam, and more importantly, on the civilians at home.
For the GI
Technological adavnces made it easy to mass produce handheld radios that could be brought into the field by American soldiers. The war experience was emotionally damaging, and something was needed to pass the time by. Radio did this in the form of AFVN, or the American Forces Vietnam Network. Music was played over the airwaves, as well as news announcements, covering the status of the war, important events both domestic and abroad, and of course the most recent sports games. The avergae "Galvanized Iron" grunt unit could feel like they were not abandoned nor alone during their turn at war. As one GI said, "it was like a little piece of home in my pocket."
Just like the patriotic cover disguising the Vietnam War, the AFVN could not last forever. When support for the war overturned, the propagandists in the government found that Wolfman Jack and Sergeant Pepper could not keep the soldiers happy forever, as troop morale eventually dwindled, mirroring the public morale. AFVN played sent its last signal during the Tet Offensive, when VC overran the headquarters building in Saigon. One staff member was killed while the others were captured and held as POWs. A huge loss for the US PR campaign.
Serving the American fighting man twenty fours hours a day from the Delta to the DMZ-AFVN slogan
Courtesy: KABC
For the Public
Contrary to the military's experience, the American public found radio to be a tool for bringing reality of the war to the car or house, as well as an effective means of destroying the support for it.
Radio has always been, and still is one of the most popular sources for news coverage. The Vietnam War saw the widespread avilability of television, which added the visual dimension of media and gave the civilian mind a much more dramatic understanding of the battlefield, but nevertheless, radio played an important part in the effect of media on the war. Journalists were able to travel to Vietnam, often following combat groups into the fighting. Here they interviewed a wide array of US troops, ranging from the miserable 18 year old draftee, to the battle-hardened Sergeant Major, and broadcasted the diverse stories and tales. Since most of America's forces were comprised of drafted kids who had no intention of being in Nam, it is not surprising what the majority of the interviews displayed: Heart wrenching stories of youngsters dying in front of friends, a pile of leaves revealing a booby trapped hand grenade, or maybe even the napalm burns on Vetnamese villagers. Even though it lacked pictures, radio showed the grim realities the average soldier was feeling during Vietnam, without the shroud of military folk tales. Another loss for the US PR campaign.
Click here for a NPR segment about the Vietnam War: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/podcasts/playerapp3.php?file=atsgpod_3156.mp3